Ochea, Juntilla tow ARQ Lapu-Lapu one win away from semifinal round

CEBU, Philippines — Dawn Ochea and Reed Juntilla landed the knockout punches as the ARQ Builders Lapu-Lapu City Heroes ousted the Tubigon-Bohol Mariners via a close 73-69 decision to move a win away from the semifinal round of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas Vismin Super Cup-Visayas leg yesterday at the Alcantara Civic Center in Alcantara town southwest of Cebu.

For the first time in the upstart league, two best players of the game were honored as Ochea and Juntilla both came up with a stellar double-double showing spotlighted by crucial hits in the final two minutes of the contest that sealed the deal for ARQ Lapu-Lapu.

Ochea scattered 21 points and 10 rebounds laced with three assists and a steal, while Juntilla tallied 16 markers and 10 boards spiked with two dimes and one steal for the Heroes, who completed a three-game sweep of the Mariners to advance to the next phase of the stepladder playoffs.

“Dawn played big,” said ARQ Lapu-Lapu assistant coach Jerry Guzman Abuyabor in praise of Ochea. “He stepped up again when we needed him most.”

The Heroes raced to a blistering 13-0 start and led by as much as 17 points, 53-36, on a basket by Jerick Canada with 3:42 left in the third period.

ARQ Lapu-Lapu maintained a comfortable 65-50 lead midway in the final canto but the Mariners staged a daring fightback in the windup behind an 11-0 blitz to come threateningly close at  65-61 with only 2:20 left to play.

That was, however, the best Tubigon could muster as Ochea ended ARQ Lapu-Lapu’s long scoring drought with two free throws before Juntilla scored on a four-point swing to give the Heroes a 71-61 breather at the final one-minute zone of the contest.

Tubigon closed in for the last time at 65-71 as Ochea capped his game-long brilliance with a basket in the last 14 seconds that effectively put the final nail on the Mariners’ coffin.

The ageless Jojo Tangkay and the rejuvenated Rendell Senining also figured prominently for the Heroes with 10 points apiece. Tangkay added five rebounds, one assist and a block while Senining filled up the stats sheet with six boards, two assists and as many steals for his second straight all-around performance.

Narciso Llagas topscored for Tubigon with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Joseph Marquez tallied 12 markers, five rebounds and five assists while Jumike Casera cashed in 10 points on top of rebounds but their efforts went down the drain as the Mariners already got their exit papers from the league’s bubble play.